The Metabolic Approach to Treating Food Addiction | Dr. Tro Kalayjian | The Metabolic Link Ep. 77

Could treating food like a drug be the breakthrough we've needed in food addiction treatment? In this episode of The Metabolic Link , Dr. Dominic D’Agostino sits down with Dr. Tro Kalayjian - physician, researcher, and former obesity patient - to explore whether food addiction should be classified as a true addiction, and how his TOWARD model is helping patients overcome binge eating and food-related compulsions. Dr. Tro shares findings from his recent peer-reviewed paper, TOWARD: a Metabolic Health Intervention That Improves Food Addiction and Binge Eating Symptoms . The study evaluated outcomes from the TOWARD intervention, a telemedicine-based model that combines metabolic nutrition, real-time biofeedback, and coaching. Nearly half of participants reduced food addiction symptoms, and over 80% saw improvements in binge eating - often independent of weight loss. This conversation explores the science of dopamine signaling, the failure of calorie-restriction models, the blurred line between food addiction and eating disorders, and how this approach could reshape treatment through scalable, real-world solutions. Questions Answered in This Episode: How should we define food addiction compared to binge eating disorder? Should ultra-processed food addiction be officially recognized in the DSM? Why is food addiction harder to treat than drug or alcohol addiction? What were the key outcomes of the TOWARD study on food addiction and binge eating? Can lifestyle interventions compete with bariatric surgery or GLP-1 drugs? How can employers scale food addiction treatment for high-risk populations? Check out Dr. Kalajian's TOWARD app here. Special thanks to the sponsors of this episode: ✅Genova Connect – Get 15% off any test kit with code METABOLICLINK here! ✅Cowboy Colostrum - Get 25% offwhen you use code METABOLICLINK at checkout ! ✅Piquelife.com - Get the Pu'er Bundle for 20% off here. In every episode of The Metabolic Link, we'll uncover the very latest research on metabolic health and therapy. If you like this episode, please share it, subscribe, follow, and leave us a comment or review on whichever platform you use to tune in! You can find us on all your major podcast players here and full episodes are also up on our Metabolic Health Summit YouTube channel ! Find us on social: Instagram Facebook YouTube LinkedIn Please keep in mind: The Metabolic Link does not provide medical or health advice, but rather general information that does not serve as a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional. Never delay in seeking medical advice from an appropriately licensed medical provider for any health condition that you may have.